Juraan will also use his Ray of Frost (turning it into the acid damage version) on the body of the were-baboon as it's set alight.
"What can I say? Take no chances!"
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Kikinnin begins cleaning his axe, now that the danger is largely contained in the Lucky Monkey. He broods, as the interrogation unfolds, happy to keep his own questions at bay while the others knick away.
When the family and Shensen indicate their desire to return to Cauldron, the black-beard has no objections.
"We're not going to take any prisoners, are we? Prisoners would just slow us down. It's not like they deserve any mercy after what they did! I don't think any of our prisoners should be left alive after this. Including this Maple creature. She obviously didn't care about what happened here.""
""I think we should haul them back to Cauldron. We don't have the authority to kill them out of hand. And to be honest, I don't think I could just kill someone in cold blood like that. I wish we could crash, and I know Tessa and the others will be tired, but we'd all be much safer back in Cauldron. With prisoners."
Having turned to look at JJ while the boy spoke, Kikinnin raises an eyebrow, when JJ lumps him in with Juraan, and the man's call for vigilante frontier justice. "Don't include me in your cautions, JJ. I'd bind them up, and bear them back to Cauldron, like you would."
"Let's head back, a couple of you might want to try and grab some sleep too. Then if my eyelids grow too heavy, you can take over driving.."
Kikinnin comes up to the boy to clamp a hand on his shoulder, wordlessly. As the boy continues to waffle about roadside execution and doing the right thing, the black-beard returns to the prisoners and starts loading them up on the carts.
He's ready to return en masse to Cauldron, burdened with the innocent and the guilty alike.
Maxim watches his fellow dwur, flashes a hard smile, then assists Kikinnin in loading the prisoners and wounded.
"Hell's Teeth. These jobs keep gettin' bloodier brodir. Never thought I'd want fer a time to spar with the Stormers or watch you chug ale!"
Relieved of the fatigue by the strangely reassuring presence of Kikinnin, the group mounts the cart with everybody, prisoners and rescued ones alike. Despite the numerous group, the restored energies of the group push the caravan to its destiny in a good rate.
By the time you arrive to Cauldron gates the night has fallen hours ago. Anyway, the guards stop you at the doors looking confused at the binded folk "What is this? They are not Cauldron citizens. They have to pay the 1 silver coin tax if they want to go inside"
Tessa quickly hands for her pouch and produces three silver coins for her and her children.
"Those are hillfolk, not welcome at the city. Anyway, they are five, so five silver coins" points out the guard at the northwest gate.
"The fine fellows here all trussed up, waylaid the Lucky Monkey and it's occupants, killing all they could lay hand on including Sarchem Delasharn. They tried and failed to kill us when we entered the Inn searching for Cleric Delasharn. This fine woman and her children are the survivors of the attack and owners of the Inn. Can the guard place them in custody until I can speak with the captain more formally?"
Indicating the covered body of Sarchem. I must deliver Cleric Delasharn, with all haste first."
Ryan will pay the tolls as required.
"Well... " says a very tired JJ
"The guards have no interest in Hillmen who attacked the Lucky Monkey. A vital rest stop for travelers and merchants who bring commerce to Cauldron?"
He starts to unload the unconscious hillmen
"We'll just leave them here, right outside the gate then."
The guards look at the prisoners despised "That's very regretful. But this trash is none of our business. Cauldron has no authority beyond the caldera"
They soft a bit under Ryan request "Ok. You can leave them here while you talk with Captain Skellerang, but I do not think you will get anything from there"
The guards accept the Marsh remaining family members tax and let them in.
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"You do have quite the way with words.." admits JJ to Ryan.
"Looks like we have three tasks... Letting the church know about the lost wands, setting Tessa and the family into Cauldron, and visiting the guardhouse."
He yawns again. Kikinnins blessing had helped, but he had been up for a day and a half, and JJ was bushed.
"I'll get Tessa, Sara and Denny settled into my place. I think hosting them at the Tankard might be a little too close to where they used to live. I'll meet you all back at the Tankard in an hour or so."
He guides the cart through the streets of Cauldron and parks it outside the building that has his small apartment in it.
"ahhhh.. sorry if its a bit messy. I don't normally have guests." he admits. I'm not sure you'll all fit in my bed..[/b]" he scratches his head for a moment, and then opens up his pack and drops his bedroll onto the floor.
After a moment JJ slumps into a rickety chair. "Tessa, Sara.. Denny.. I'm sorry we didn't get there in time. I know the last day must seem like a horrible nightmare. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. I'll come by and check on you in the morning, or if I can't... I'll send work. If the worst comes to the worst, ask for someone to take a message to the Tipped Tankard for you."
He eyes up Sara for a moment. "The streets are okay, but might be best to stay off them after dark.". The youth makes small talk for a while, and then leaves the family to settle in together as best they may. On his way to the Tipped Tankard he stops by a street vendor and arranges for some food to get send up to his rooms.
As JJ heads off to his apartment with Tessa and the children Marigold looks at the others, a mixture of sleepiness as well as indecision on her face. "Um...wh-what d-do you n-need m-me to d-do right n-now?" she asks, trying to stifle a yawn. "Sh-should I g-go with one of y-you or sh-should I just g-go home and r-rest up for n-now? It's t-too late at night to g-get into B-Bluecrater right n-now if we n-needed anything from th-there..."
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Ryan smiles at Marigold's offer, "I'll take care of this, Kikinnin is welcome to come, as well as any others, but we are all tired and in need of sleep; for our chase is not yet ended." Thinking about JJ's meeting at the Tipped Tankard a moment "I'll be there as soon as I can, I have to talk with Jenya first. She will need to make plans and send messages to the other churches within our faith. Others may be risk as well."
Stepping over to the guard sergeant or corporal in charge f the gate, ryan will let them know about Triel's involvement, hoping that the guard would dislike the former guardsmen turned murderer, and keep a closer eye on the prisoners until he had heard back from the captain.
Ryan enter's the church courtyard leading the wagon bearing Sarchem's shrouded body. Grabbing an initiate and sending them to find, Jenya, Alek (should he be in residence), and Ruphus, in that order. Removing the mace from his hip and placing it beside the body and the circlet upon Sarchem's chest he waits for Jenya to arrive.
"I'm sorry, we arrived too late to save Sarchem, or the wands. However, we did manage to destroy the abomination that was hired to assassinate our leader, friend and mentor. We also learned that an individual from Cauldron's past, Triel, a former guard turned murderer, hired the group that attacked the Inn and escaped with the wands before we arrived. She is known to frequent Cauldron still, one of our group met her recently. So we have returned bearing both Sarchem, along with his personal effects, and the wife, Tesse, and children of Orin the inn keeper; he perished in the fighting at the inn. Also prisoners from the Alleybashers and the Hillfolk have been brought back; the guardsmen have agreed to hold them until I speak with Captain Skellerang"
[/b]"Hell's Teeth. These jobs keep gettin' bloodier brodir. Never thought I'd want fer a time to spar with the Stormers or watch you chug ale!"[/b]
Kikinnin grimaces and nods. "I... I don't mind it, if it serves a deeper purpose. Well... maybe that's not altogether true. The minding. The minding matters. The mindless butchery is our nemesis. It's an evil I'll always find I mind." He shoves the hill person harder than he thought he might, loading him on the cart. "It's like they don't see the dead as they see themselves. They could have just as easily taken the wands, and left Sarcem his life. But they didn't. I only hope Abadar brought him home, quickly, and painlessly." Kikinnin glances towards Maxim, a look on his face that speaks to his own desire, if he ever finds himself in similar circumstance.
...
"That's very regretful. But this trash is none of our business. Cauldron has no authority beyond the caldera."
Kikinnin, tired for the travel, bristles as he hears a member of the guard speak of Cauldron law as strictly Cauldron's. "The Monkey pays taxes, doesn't it?" Kikinnin is unsure of the answer. He's unsure of many things now, regarding Law, and his place in it.
He follows Ryan back to the Church, and waits for Jenya's answer, before asking his own questions. "Before we talk to the Captain, I want to ask you- what faith do you have in Cauldron law? How does it align with Abadar's? There are those of us who have less faith in the guard. I want to know your thoughts."
"I'll need some sleep, myself."
"I feel fine, thanks to Kikinnin."
"But just spent enough to be unable to cast spells."
"Someone do us a favour and fetch me in a few hours for our meeting."
"I'll probably oversleep otherwise.
With that, Juraan shuffles off home for a few hour's kip.
"O-okay th-then, I g-guess I'll g-go try and g-get some s-sleep too," Marigold nods, secretly a bit thankful that the others didn't need her presence at the church. Though she understand that each of the gods had their place in the grand scheme of things she'd always felt rather shy and awkward around most of Abadar's clergy.
Maybe it's the getup; always so formal-looking...
After making sure that everyone else would be okay for the time being, the halfling slips away and hurries through wet and darkened streets to her home.
I just hope I don't wake up to my bed having turned into a raft. We need to find those wands and fast!
Back at the gate, you do count the prisoners and find one is missing. After much search, you discover the one missing is Maple. There is literally no trace of the little halfling.
When the group enters the city past the gate, Bepo quickly approaches Kikinnin "But what are you doing here dwarf! Everybody was ranting by your absence in the Tankard! They were proceeding to remove you from the round in the drinking contest because of not showing yourself!"
Back at the church everybody is shocked at the discovery of Sarcem's corpse. Jenya stands cold "We must find the wands" she orders to prepare the high priests' body and picks up his holy mace "Most regretfully Sarcem was the only one in the church with the power to raise those fallen. I will send message immediately as you suggest. You can take his armor and other equipment, I am sure he would be proud to know you people are making a good use of it"
"I do not know where this Triel might be hiding now" says Jenya closing tight his lips.
"Faith in Cauldron law" Jenya closes her eyes and seems to take a decision "Not much at the current. Aleck discovered something at Redgorge. He left some days ago to find clear evidence, but we fear corruption going rampant"
The forced march of the trip has paid its toll. You succumb over your bed in hands of Desna.
Back at home, you quickly fall sleep. The night is wet and your sleep is deep but uncomfortable. At some point you fall on the hands of Desna...
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"But what are you doing here, dwarf! Everybody was ranting by your absence in the Tankard! They were proceeding to remove you from the round in the drinking contest because of not showing yourself!"
Kikinnin heartens to a different kind of welcome, apart from the unhelpful guards. When he realizes Bepo is referring to the drinking contest, he shakes his head, rubbing his tongue along his teeth, tired enough of their travel from the Monkey.
"Peace, Bepo. We were sent on a dire mission to help a priest, and we failed to arrive in time to save his life. Headed to St. Cuthbert now. Might like a drink later, but contests seems a little pale in comparison to the recent tragedy, if you understand me."
The black-beard scratches his head. "Didn't Artus say something about an Aslaxin? I don't know what that is, but if I won that, for the rounds I drank, I'll be content. What's an 'Aslaxin', Bepo?"
...
"Faith in Cauldron law. Not much at the current. Aleck discovered something at Redgorge. He left some days ago to find clear evidence, but we fear corruption going rampant."
Kikinnin sighs. "I'd know where I stand, following Abadar's Law, Jenya. We want to bring justice to those who flog it, don't we? I will defend my friends, and the innocent, but where am I supposed to stand when it comes to taking prisoners, and bringing them to heel under local law, if the blasted guards would turn them away? I can't be judge and executioner outside of Cauldron, can I?"
Maxim arches an eyebrow at Maple's disappearance;
"Huh. Either the lil' lady had cards she didn't show... or she's got mighty powerful employers..."
The dwur rubs his neck in sudden weariness, then takes his leave of the group;
"Couple o' things to attend to. One being sleep... I'll see you lot on the morrow..."
Maxim makes for his Uncle's place, to give both a report and raise concerns that the weapons they resold to the Alleybashers and Hillfolk have come to light. With the Church, and particularly a more martial Ryan aware of the situation it might be time for his Uncle to rethink the markets he's selling to?
"You wouldn't have a room for me for the night would you?" he asks the friendly staff. "I offered my place to... some friend." he admits when the obvious question comes up as to why.
"If the others come looking for me, let them know where I am, but apart from them, I just want a drink, a meal and a bed. I hurt in places that I didn't know I had places."
All else being equal, JJ sleeps solidly, but, blessed with the vigor of the young wakes without much to-do in the morning when be heads down to breakfast and hopefully meet up with the others.
After an untold amount of time that features odd and disturbing dreams - such things as the Cauldron swimming contest except in the flooded city proper rather than the lake and featuring the severed heads of her friends and other innocents instead of little boats, Marigold finally drifts off into a more peaceful slumber. When she awakes the next morning she sighs, wishing that for once she could just have dreams about something else, such as a land of delicious baked goodies.
Ugh...time to get back to it and go meet up with the others; the sooner we can find those wands the better.
Hurriedly she dresses and grabs her things and swiftly makes her way back to the Tipped Tankard. Upon spotting JJ already up and seated at a table, she heads over and pulls up a seat as well.
"M-morning JJ...d-did you s-sleep okay?" she asks quietly.
"Like a log" says JJ, who is feeling quite a bit more chipper after a good nights sleep.
"I should probably go and check on Sara... I mean, as well as Tessa and Denny obviously." he suppresses a bit of a blush.
"And then we need to find out what happened to those wands. Maybe that mace in the church can give some more clues, like it did about Terrem being kidnapped."
Ryan helps with the preparations best he can, before succumbing to the 2 day journey they had just undertaken.
The following morning, following a restless but needed sleep, he rises with the sun to attend the morning training in the courtyard followed by devotions. The semblance of normalcy helps to restore him to his former self, my how the past weeks had changed him.
Joining the other at the tavern to break their fast, he arrives wearing Sarchem's mace and bearing a bag with him. Juice and pastry in hand he greets the others as they sit down.
"Good morning Marigold, JJ, sleep was ... shall we say fleeting but definitely needed.
Jenya took the news of Sarchem's passing hard, but understandably so. It also turns out that within St Cuthberts he alone could bring one back truly from the dead. Jenya has begun preparing his body for the funeral, but for the moment we are too continue to look for the wands. That is our only concern. To that end she has also granted his equipment to us to further our search.
I wish to use his mace, his armor is well crafted bearing Abadar's symbol but heavy, would any of you wish to use it?
I consulted with Jenya and the headband he wore was one of inspired wisdom and the ring was for added protection. Who can put these to good use?"
"Is that the mace that tells riddles?" asks JJ.
"We should ask it about the wands."
As for the equipment.
"I think you would be best suited to the headband in all honesty Ryan. I could use either it or his ring. I got a bit banged up by those hillmen - I have to work on my defensive techniques a bit."
He tucks into eggs and toast. "The only clues we have is that tavern. It may be we should head there first. Anyone seem our friendly dwarves or Juran this morning?"
"I d-didn't sleep t-too well either," Marigold admits as Ryan joins them next in the tavern. "Weird d-dreams. B-but you're r-right, we have to f-find those w-wands and it s-seems like A-Alleybasher territory is the b-best p-place to start," she sighs.
"As for S-Sarcem's things...I think JJ is right. Y-you'd g-get the b-best use from his headb-band and the m-mace, while JJ c-could d-definitely use the r-ring," she agrees. "The a-armor is t-too b-big for m-me and I d-don't think it would f-feel right for m-me to wear it even if I c-could."
Adrick Garthûn is despised by the news "Well, that was good and easy money. But I guess there is no one else to buy the weapons left anyway. We will need to find a new market"
He does though re-buy the weapons and any other stuff the group found if offered by Maxim.
Jenya nods with concern about Kikinnin doubts on Cauldron current law "And Abadar calls for proper judgement of men and women. It is not always easy for us to find the proper answers Kikinnin. Try to hold in your faith in order to know what is correct in each case. Eventually, we must execute any monster which might be a menace to Cauldron and its well-being"
Artus Shemwick himself serves the breakfast for the party. He works silently on doing it. Ryan explains to JJ, the Star of Justice is hold in the temple vaults as one of the most powerful artifacts of the Church. The mace could be used to cast a divination each week, and Jenya might be willing to use it for this. It would require though for the group to frame a precise question.
At some point Artus approaches "I almost forgot. Someone left these letters for you" he hands each one a letter with your name written over it. Inside you find out invitations to the Demonskar Ball at the Coy Nixie in a fortnight. Your invitations have a caldera, all but Maxim's who holds a mountain.
Outside a thunder breaks the morning peace. A dense sheet of rain starts to fall once again, continuing with more intensity the night calm rain.
Juraan joins the others at the Tipped Tankard for breakfast.
"Ugh! Glad we don't travel like that much!"
"I had a hard time waking up this morning."
"I don't have any urgent claim on any of that gear we found."
"Glad to see you could drag yourself from ben Juraan!" grins JJ, who seems to have recovered from his exertions with surprising ease.
"Look, tickets to the ball! " A look of disappointment crosses his face after he re-reads it. "We don't get to bring a partner. Oh well. I say, Ryan is this the one where your cousin pretends to be my great great great..etc..grandfather in a play? That will be grand to watch."
His face clouds again for a moment. "I hope they won't spoil it by trying to make trouble again.
He tucks into a second helping of breakfast. "I surely didn't get enough to eat yesterday, and my rear feels like I was caught taking cookies from the kitchen, again."
Between bites he asks "So... do we try asking the Star about the wands, or save that and see if the Allybashers can shed any light on the situation. I warn you though, if we go in there, we'll be stirring up a hornets nest, and there is no mistaking it."
JJ's suggestion about parlaying with the Alley Bashers wakes Juraan up!
After choking on his coffee, he says quietly, with abundant melodrama:
"TALK to the Alley Bashers?"
"They will be … overjoyed … to see US!"
"Hark! I hear disembowelling knives being sharpened!"
Then, after a pause:
"Seriously, though. I can't see reasoning with them. At all."
"Not after what happened at the Lucky Monkey."
"That was yesterday. Unless anyone has been talking real fast, which in this town is an almost certainty... they won't know what went down, or who was involved." says JJ with a hopeful expression to his voice.
"I should check on Orin's family and Terrem as well. But if we are to visit the Allybashers inn, we should do it sooner rather than later."
Over breakfast, Kikinnin looks over the invitation, slowly realizing the family name. "Ah, alright. Ok. I didn't 'win the Aslaxin'. I beat Zachary. Didn't win the whole competition, then. Anyone know what I stand to win if I keep up the drinking?" The black-beard looks to his companions, then at Artus.
"Ryan, we should have Jenya do her thing, and try and help us understand where the wands have run off to."
He crumples up his invitation, and looks around the room for an open fire.
Artus looks back at the dwarf and smiles "What do you win? The pride of being the strongest among Cauldron citizens. Women will look you different forever since. That and a nice trophy and the 60 gp from the entry fees" he averts his eyes "And the chance to out-drink Lord Valantru and win an additional 500 gp, but that would be nearly impossible. He is the best drinker in all the region"
There is a foyer in the Tipped Tankard, it will be easy to fire the invitation on there.
With a grim set Maxim makes the necessary transaction.
"Agreed Uncle. Customers perhaps a lil' less close to home might be savvy?"
The gun-mage tips the nod to his mentor;
"I'll put my thinkin' cap on too... Might be we turn somethin' up... Opportunities come from odd places eh?"
On the morrow the dwur returns to the group with coin for the traded items.
"Gold for breakfast friends... Enjoy."
At the invitations the gun-mage scowls;
"Why in hell's teeth would we want to rub shoulders with nobles, blue bloods and aristocracy! Place'll be full o' eijits like the Stormers lookin' down their noses at us... An' how-come I got a damned mountain motif?"
At JJ's suggestion he downs his coffee and nods;
"Ain't such a dumb idea Surabar. We can get the measure on if the Lucky Monkey was just a bunch o' blood thirsty loose cannons throwin' in with the Hillfolks... or if they're involved deeper..."
"A b-ball? U-us?" Marigold's eyes widen as she reads over her invitation. "Th-that's b-big isn't it, to g-get an invitation? M-Might b-be r-rude to not g-go...b-but if we d-do we'll have to b-be careful. There's no t-telling wh-what those St-Stormblades m-might have up their s-sleeve if they g-get wind that we've b-been invited..."
The halfling shakes her head, trying to put the thought of the ball out of her mind for the time being; they still had bigger fish to fry. "I th-think we sh-should ask J-Jenya to use the m-mace if it's s-something that c-can b-be done s-sooner rather than l-later," she suggests. "If we have to w-wait a w-week th-then we sh-should g-go see wh-what the Alleyb-bashers know."
JJ nods to Marigold.
"Yes.. if it gave us a clue like last time that might be best. But who would want Cauldron to sink under the waters?" he shrugs.
He thinks through various questions, tossing them about.
"Where are the wands? Maybe not specific enough." he shakes his head.
"Where is Triel? nahh, maybe she doesn't have them any more." a distant look in his eyes says that maybe he's not keen on facing her across steel either.
"OR.. how about. 'How may we recover the wands that were stolen by Triel'?"
Earlier
Ryan passes the ring to JJ "May it protect you well scion of Surabar" As the others defer on the circlet, Ryan picks it back up studying it quietly before putting it on "as may I prove this well given"
As discussion turns to the Alleybashers and questions for Jenya concerning the wand. "The Alleybashers most likely already know their members are here and held by the guardsmen, I hope they have not been turned loose, as I intend to speak with the captain when I leave here. If you are going to visit Minuta's Board it should be soon."
"Where may we find the wands perhaps is specific enough, the focus is on the wand not necessarily Triel. Other suggestions"
"Captain, thank you for seeing me. We have just returned from the inn formerly known as the Lucky Monkey. Members of the Alleybashers, Hillfolk and a werecreature, who formerly was an assassin from Sasserine by the way, attacked the inn, killing the owner, merchants staying there, and the head of our own Church of St Cuthbert, Sarchem Delasharn no less. The owner Orin's wife, Tesse and two children survived the attack. We seek justice for the widow and children, against the surviving Alleybasher's and Hillfolk."
Ryan pauses to gauge the Captain's reply
"This Triel woman. Is she usually hidden or in disguise?"
"She sounds like she should be easy to spot in a crowd."
After thinking about things over breakfast and the others talking …
"What reason would she have had for taking those wands?"
"Was it revenge? For something real or perceived?"
"From what Maple said, she wanted Saracem in particular dead."
"But the way she went about it tells me she's Brutality incarnate."
"Triel doesn't seem to bother with disguises." says JJ confidently.
"Well, if she does, I've not seen though them." he then admits after a moment.
"I think she relishes who and what she is. But she does have a habit of being able to absent herself before the consequences of her actions catch up with her."
JJ ponders the wand question for a while. "I don't think she has any ulterior motive. Didn't Maple say that Triel was acting on behalf of someone else. Certainly that she left in such a hurry, leaving the loot behind, suggests she was either working for someone who paid more than that pile of coins, or she has some agenda of her own."
He tucks into a third helping of breakfast, this time a huge bowl of oatmeal.
"You know those two half elves have showed up a couple of times recently in sticky situations. I wonder if Fario and Fellian can shed some light on what their friend was doing there. Maybe she could also give us a clue as to what went down, once she is recovered."
"Well, it Triel is purely mercenary, she's got a vicious streak a mile wide!"
"Myself, I'd much rather talk to Fario and Fellian than any Alley Bashers."
"Ah! I will have to look for people looking for weapons somewhere else..." admits Adrick Garthûn.
Artus laugh at Maxim as he damns the hell about why he has a mountain "Haven't you read the Herald?" he points out a newspaper over the table "It was me, I would not make the offense to reject the Aslaxins invitation"
The Captain greets Ryan and listens with interest the report "There is not much we can do about the hillfolk or the Lucky Monkey. Our jurisdiction does not reach them, and we do have too much on our hands already" he pauses then gauging the cleric intentions "As for the alleybashers. This is most strange... they are no more than a bunch of burglars, and... my last reports tell they have no leader as of the current and remain disorganized. It is strange they were able to launch such a coordinated attack"
You do gauge the wands have a market value of 168,000 gp. 21,000 gp each.
Marigold gives herself a mental slap.
OF COURSE, why didn't I realize this earlier?
"હું દિલગીર છું, હું સમજાયું કર્યું જોઈએ કે Alleybasher પ્રદેશ તરફ આગળ વધતાં ખરેખર કરવા મુશ્કેલ હોઈ શકે છે," she says quietly, this time willingly slipping into the strange battle-tongue. "ધારો કે આપણે જઈએ આપણે બધા ભેગા મળીને, છતાં જઈશ. અમે કાંઇ તમે શું દો નહીં."
As quickly as she'd slipped into it, the halfling switches back to Common as Artus reminds them to re-read the local paper. "W-wait...d-does that m-mean M-Maxim is s-supposed to b-be in the p-play!?" she gasps, eyes wide.
"I'm s-sorry, I sh-should've realized that h-heading into Alleyb-basher territory would b-be really h-hard to d-do."
"If we g-go we'll all go t-together, though. We w-won't let anything h-happen to you."
Maxim scans the paper, then scoffs as he laces his coffee with some rum from his flask;
"Well... well. Lucky I ain't you Artus. These dandies can have their ball... I ain't for it, nor bending' my knee to 'em."
The dwur shakes his head and eyes Marigold with a hard smile;
"No it don't l'il lady..."
He pushes his invite across the table;
"...One o' you star-struck fools can take it. Come hells an' high waters I'll not be at yer damned ball... An' I care not what the high an' mighty Aslaxins think o' me."
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"What do you win? The pride of being the strongest among Cauldron citizens. Women will look you different forever since. That And the chance to out-drink Lord Valantru and win , but that would be nearly impossible. He is the best drinker in all the region."
Kikinnin's eyes widen a bit, as he considers Artus's words. "Well, then, looks like I'm going to have to keep my name in the hat. How many more rounds before Vhalantru? Not sure I've got the time, if we're still trying to run down some thieves." The black-beard struggles to understand what their priorities will be, given the immediacy of their failure to recover the wands.
He comes back to the conversation at hand, regarding the question they may get Jenya to ask Abadar. "I'd ask something like 'How do we get the Flood Festival wands back in time to prevent disaster to Cauldron?' or something like that. We should get going on that now." He tries to keep track of the time, in case they've got the flexibility in their schedule.
"What reason would she have had for taking those wands?"
"The wands have value, is my guess, and having the wands, when the waters begin to rise, so does the value."
"W-wait...d-does that m-mean M-Maxim is s-supposed to b-be in the p-play!?"
Kikinnin chuckles, picturing Maxim with red circles painted on his cheeks with lights focused on him and his, parading on a stage. "Aw, I might have to attend the ball, just to see that." The black-beard cuffs the blond-beard on the shoulder meat.
"I agree with Maxim. The Stormblades have done nothing but spit in our eyes, and I'll not now call it rain. Aslaxins can have their ball, I'll not suffer their company. In fact, it'll give me some comfort to know where they are, so I know where not to be, that evening."
Kikinnin fires his invitation in the nearest brazier/torch, and doesn't give it a second thought.
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There is not much we can do about the hillfolk or the Lucky Monkey. Our jurisdiction does not reach them, and we do have too much on our hands already" ... "As for the alleybashers. This is most strange... they are no more than a bunch of burglars, and... my last reports tell they have no leader as of the current and remain disorganized. It is strange they were able to launch such a coordinated attack
"Captain, I think I can answer your second comment before the first. The Alleybashers and Hillfolk were hired by someone whose name I'm sure you know, Triel, a former guardsman of your command. She hired the groups to kill the leader of my church so the she could steal the wands Sarchem was bringing back to use with the Flood Festival.
I understand your hesitation to deal with the Hillfolk, but the Alleybashers came from Cauldron, and to allow them the leeway to plunder the merchants freely between Sasserine and Cauldron's walls will embolden them to increase their attacks. Perhaps Triel is even the leader that you've been unable to find in their midst.
Would you reconsider the prosecution of the Alleybashers only?"
Back at the Tipped Tankard
Laughing at the gruff dwarves "To see some noble dandy's scare off two of Malachites scions, surely my eyes and ears deceive me. Yes it is a party thrown by one of Cauldron's noble families, and the Stormblades will be there. I thought dwarves were made of sterner stuff than to let unsubstantiated claims by spoiled brats parading around in armor get under their skin. All your refusal does is give them ammo for future verbal engagements."
Ryan is intentionally pushing the dwarves, their refusal to attend meant anyone else going dealt with the Stormblades at a disadvantage.
Kikinnin looks up at Ryan, his face wrinkling. "What are you saying? You're spitting in our eyes now, like your cousin? I thought better of you, Ryan. You are less a man for the words you choose. I'll not be goaded by the likes of you." If it wasn't crystal clear before, it should be now that the black-beard will have nothing to do with nobility and their machinations.
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"Spitting on you, no not at all, but your refusal to go puts those of us who do attend at a disadvantage. Yet such is life, no battle is ever won without difficulty; and life is full of duty that is necessary, if distasteful. Suit yourself" Ryan will say nothing else on the subject, frustrated with the dwarven stubbornness.
"Disadvantage? You've been murdering too much lately, if you imagine a ball will be the scene of skirmish, requiring arms and numbers, for battle. I have no duty but to help regain the wands. I don't remember you whining when Maxim failed to show for the wedding. Save your sermons for someone else."
JJ smiles as the dwarves banter back and forth. For him it was obvious he was going to the ball.
"I wonder if I should get some dancing lessons first..." he muses out loud. He nods thanks to Marigold. "True words indeed. But before the ball we have three leads, the mace, the bashers and the half elves. Does anyone recall where they are staying?"
"I've got mixed feelings about the ball."
"The benefits are free booze and food."
"The disadvantage is being anywhere near Todd the-noble-Skin-Rash."
"To save anyone asking: I really do loath Todd. No question of it."
"But that's neither here nor there."
"Our priority should be trying to recover those wands."
"W-well, the invitations s-said f-fortnight, right? So that's uh...two w-weeks? So we've g-got t-time to w-worry about the b-ball and who's g-going and who isn't l-later," Marigold interjects hastily, hoping to change the subject and avoid a fight between the two dwarves and the rest of the group. "R-right now the w-wands are what m-matter; m-might not even be a b-ball if we d-don't find them!"
Furrowing her brow, she mulls over their options. "L-let's c-consult with the m-mace first and s-see what it m-might have to t-tell us. Then we c-can f-find the half-elves. Let's s-save the Alleyb-bashers for l-last just b-because it's the m-most likely option to l-lead to a f-fight and we d-don't have a l-lot of time," she suggests.
"I agree with Marigold on the Alley Bashers!"
JJ nods his head, also in agreement.
"Triel? Is that vile snake behind all this?" the captain becomes visibly angry at that point "Those Alleybashers have shown very disorganized, and we would have noticed Triel comings and goings at Minute's Board. But they might be certainly working for her in some task"
"I understand the concerns of the church for the robbery, but I would not risk the life of my guards storming the alleybasher's lair unless it is certain the lake is flooding" adds the Captain.
You do not know where Fario or Fellian might life. Thus, after having a nice lunch with beans and stuffed potatoes, you do take the avenue to the Church of St. Cuthbert. The storm outside gives you a break, but soft rain keeps falling. The curb of the avenue is full of water sliding towards the lake while you walk to the temple.
Once at your destiny, Jenya is not available until half an hour passes. She then agrees to grant you use of the Star of Justice. The now high priestess of Abadar commands to bring the mace. Some minutes later Rufus Laro arrives with the mace in his hands and passes it to Jenya.
Jenya places the Star of Justice on Ryan's hands "Better be very specific in your question"